Petunia. Evolutionary, Developmental and Physiological Genetics. 2009. illus. XXI, 445 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

In 1984, when the first edition of this monograph was published, Petunia was well-positioned as a classical model system to contribute significantly to the coming explosion in plant molecular biology. Its strength was fostered by years of physiological, biochemical, genetic and cytogenetic research- the contributions of early workers who saw the value and promise of this horticulturally significant representative of the Solanaceae. The present edition encapsulates the state of Petunia-based research a quarter of a century later. It paints a rich portrait of progress, particularly but not exclusively in evolutionary and developmental biology. The wealth of knowledge presented here, and the continued promise of Petunia as a research system, both follow from a combination of that solid early work,the amenability of Petunia to molecular analysis, and the dedication and collegiality of the Petunia research community. All are richly documented in this work.